My senior cat is thin and has no teeth. What should I feed her?

Good Afternoon...thank you for contacting Boop by Petco! I empathize with your struggle and Munchkin's picky diet. I certainly do not want to cause alarm, but many times cats will become "picky eaters" for many other reasons other than their teeth. As a veterinarian, this symptom always give me pause. Cats with dental issues still usually have a normal appetite, even with a bad tooth - they will still eat. There are many other conditions which can cause an older kitty to change their eating habits and influenced "what tastes good to them" - conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (even with no other GI symptoms), kidney disease, liver disease, and many types of cancers (that can be within any organ of the body...) can cause an older kitty to change their appetite preferences. I would want to know if Munchkin is maintaining her weight, or has she lost weight? If she has lost weight, this is also more concerning. I would recommend you monitor her weight very closely - if sh

Wet food actually helps cats lose weight. It has a higher moisture content, so it takes more of it to give a cat their daily caloric requirements I would have him seen by a vet today or tomorrow. In a senior cat, this weight loss can not only be caused by dental problems, but also diabetes, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, or cancer. I recommend having a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis to diagnose what is causing his weight loss. Once the cause is found, the vet can discuss treatment options.

Please check Kitten's teeth. Unless you had her teeth cleaned lately and d under anesthesia, it is likely that there is a lot of tartar on her teeth, which causes painful gingivitis. There also may be tooth abscesses and tooth neck lesions, all of which is painful. This would certainly explain that she is hungry but reluctant to eat. Please take her to your vet for an oral exam and also a little blood test, as there is always a possibility for an older cat to suffer from an overactive thyroid (causes hunger, elevated heart rate, weight loss) and/or a kidney condition (causes weight loss, anorexia, nausea, etc.). Hyperthyroidism is easily treated with either medication/radiotherapy or surgery. Kidney disease can be treated supportively with fluids, and other supportive care. Please take your Kitty to a vet soon, before she looses too much weight.

Poor babies! Decreased appetite can be caused by several things like teeth problems, liver disease, kidney disease, thyroid issues (much less common), cancer, parasites and much more. You can try some plain canned chicken or tuna just to see if This entices them to eat. Since they are starting to look thin, I would have your vet take a look at them. Your vet will be able to do some blood work and even a fecal or X-rays if needed to help determine the cause of their decreased appetite. Your vet will also be able to prescribe them meds and an appetite stimulant if needed. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Loss of appetite can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. This could also be due to mouth pain from having a broken tooth. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Unfortunately due to her age she can have a lot of different diseases going on that regardless of what you give her she will lose weight. Ideally she would se a veterinarian to get some blood work done and see how her kidneys are, see if she is hyperthyroid or if she has diabetes. I would also have a physical examination performed to see if the veterinarian finds anything else that would lead them to believe she has something else going on. If she is not eating you can always give her some nutrical, which is a vitamin supplement, to help give her something but by using this does not mean Mitzy does not need food. I would discuss all of this with your veterinarian. Thank you for using Boop by Petco!

Lil'Bit may be having some dental problems so eating dry food may be painful. I do not like an elderly cat to lose weight. Increase her wet food so she maintains a normal weight. I recommend a senior exam where they will check her teeth, heart and lungs and do screening blood work and a urinalysis. Then you'll know if there is underlying kidney disease or if the weight loss is due to her being hyperthyroid. There are a lot of medical issues in senior animals that are easily managed once they are diagnosed. Treating any medical problems now will improve the length and quality of her life. Thanks for using Boop by Petco to help you care for Lil'Bit.

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Losing weight despite having a good appetite is a classic sign seen with hyperthyroidism. This is just one possibility among other conditions. I recommend you check in with a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for this and proceed with therapy accordingly. Best of luck!

Some senior foods actually have fewer calories so you should try to look up calorie contents online before making a switch. You may want to offer adult food in both canned and dry. Since she is a senior I’d also recommend making sure she is healthy and has a medical condition isn’t contributing to her weight loss. Kidney disease and thyroid disease are two common causes of weight loss in elderly cats.

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! I would recommend that you switch her to a canned or wet diet that may be easier for her to eat. Also, if she appears to have a severe dental disease, an evaluation by a veterinarian is warranted. They may be able to evaluate her teeth and see if she would benefit from having a dental cleaning or perhaps having teeth extractions. Good luck and have a good night!